Straw Bale vs French Gray
Straw Bale (Cloverdale Paint) and French Gray (Farrow & Ball) come from different manufacturers. Hue-wise, Straw Bale belongs to the beige family and French Gray to the beige-greige family. The 17-point LRV gap — 60 for Straw Bale vs 43 for French Gray — means Straw Bale will open up a space more effectively. A ΔE of 18.3 puts these firmly in different territory — two distinct design choices rather than close alternatives. Below you'll find 4 real-room photo comparisons where both colors appear side by side, plus 5 simulated room previews.
Straw Bale vs French Gray in Real Spaces
4 real rooms side by side. Seeing Straw Bale and French Gray in actual rooms makes the difference concrete; browse the spaces below to get a feel for how each color lives on a wall.
Living Room
A living room wall sees more varied light than almost any other surface in the house, which makes the choice between these two more nuanced than a chip suggests. Straw Bale reflects noticeably more light off the walls, making the space read more open than French Gray.
Bedroom
Bedrooms are typically lit with warmer, lower light than the rest of the house — a condition that flatters warm tones and deepens cool ones. Straw Bale returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Dining Room
Dining rooms often rely on warm incandescent or candlelight, which flatters warm undertones and mutes cool ones. The LRV gap is large enough that Straw Bale will make the room feel meaningfully brighter than French Gray would.
Bathroom
Small bathrooms intensify color. A shade that seems quiet in a larger room can feel immersive when you're surrounded by it on four walls. Straw Bale returns significantly more light to the room — in a smaller or darker space, that difference in perceived brightness is hard to miss.
Color Details
Straw Bale vs French Gray Simulated Comparison
5 simulated room previews — drag the slider on each to see Straw Bale on one side and French Gray on the other.
Digital color is approximate. These simulations are generated from the manufacturer's hex values and overlaid on grayscale room photos — your screen's calibration, brightness, and viewing angle all affect how they render. Before committing to either color, test physical samples in your own space under the light you actually live with.
More Straw Bale comparisons
See how Straw Bale stacks up against other well-photographed colors across different brands and tones.
A 9-point LRV gap (69 vs 60) makes Ammonite the marginally brighter of the two.
White Dove reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 60), opening up a space where Straw Bale encloses it.
Straw Bale reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 6), opening up a space where Iron Ore encloses it.
A 8-point LRV gap (60 vs 52) makes Straw Bale the marginally brighter of the two.
At LRV 60 vs 30, Straw Bale is decisively the brighter choice.
Straw Bale reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 52), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Their light reflectance is nearly identical (LRV 60 vs 60), so neither reads brighter in a room.
With LRVs of 60 and 58, the two reflect almost the same amount of light.
Straw Bale reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 27), opening up a space where Denim Drift encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 4, Straw Bale is decisively the brighter choice.
Straw Bale reads slightly lighter (LRV 60 vs 55), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Straw Bale reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 13), opening up a space where Bancha encloses it.
Straw Bale reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 44), opening up a space where Hardwick White encloses it.
At LRV 84 vs 60, Pure White is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 21, Straw Bale is decisively the brighter choice.
Balboa Mist reads slightly lighter (LRV 66 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
Shoji White reflects far more light (LRV 74 vs 60), opening up a space where Straw Bale encloses it.
Snowbound reflects far more light (LRV 83 vs 60), opening up a space where Straw Bale encloses it.
A 9-point LRV gap (60 vs 51) makes Straw Bale the marginally brighter of the two.
Straw Bale reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where Pewter Green encloses it.
Straw Bale reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 8), opening up a space where Duck Green encloses it.
Skimming Stone reads slightly lighter (LRV 68 vs 60), a gap that shows most in low-lit rooms.
At LRV 60 vs 41, Straw Bale is decisively the brighter choice.
Straw Bale reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 12), opening up a space where Vintage Vogue encloses it.
Straw Bale reflects far more light (LRV 60 vs 45), opening up a space where Saybrook Sage encloses it.
At LRV 60 vs 31, Straw Bale is decisively the brighter choice.
At LRV 60 vs 7, Straw Bale is decisively the brighter choice.